Tina Amanda
A Security Expert in Rivers State, Colonel Chinedu Owhonda (rtd) has described as lopsided, the actions of the Federal government to withdraw licensed arms from the South and South-Eastern part of the country while giving them to the Civilian JTF in the North, leaving the South defenceless in the face of insecurity.
In an interview with our correspondent, Colonel Owhonda emphasized that such action which was not carried out in other parts of the country is worrisome as it exposes the people of the region to untold danger.
According to him, the people of the South South and South-East are living at the mercy of God.
“The orders were given by the federal government to retract licenced arms and ammunition especially from the South-South and South East.
“It was lopsided in the sense that other parts of the country were not giving such orders. It was also alleged that the arms garnered from the South-South/South-East were taking to the North for the civilian JTF to use.
“These arms were never released back to the people here, now the state of insecurity is very high, as it is now, those of us in this region cannot defend themselves. The order is lopsided and it brings a lot of worries to the indigenes of the south who were subjected to dropping their licensed arms to Security Officers and have nothing for Defence.
“The federal government cannot give them back because these arms have been taken to the North, probably given to wrong hands as the case may be. I fear if the federal government will reverse the order, once an order like that goes out, it’s difficult to reverse, we are only living in this part by the mercy of God”
He, however, urged the people of the region to avoid carrying arms, so as not to go against the government’s order.
“The truth is when a government makes a pronouncement in respect to arms, anyone that goes against it would be seen as doing the wrong thing and not obeying the law, so such person can be prosecuted. It is better one is not seen than seen with arms”
